Water curtain forming spray nozzle



May 8, 1962 WATERACURTAIN FORMING SPRAY NOZZLE Filed Feb. 17, 1961 A. H.CHOITZ INV ENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 90,055 1 Claim.(Cl. 239-267) This invention relates to a spray nozzle primarily adaptedfor use in fighting tires to protect remen from the heat and smoke of afire, to prevent spreading ot a re to adjacent structures and to protectsuchadjacent structures from the heat of the tire, and for conning atire.

More particularly, it is an Object of the present invention to provide anozzle capable of being attached to a water hose for creating asubstantially semicircular spray or water curtain, and which is soconstructed that the nozzle may be used singularly or in series. j

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a spray nozzle thehead oi which can be adjusted so that a water curtain or spray emittedtherefrom may be disposed in a plane substantially parallel to the hose,supplying water to the nozzle, crosswise of the hose or at any otherdesired angle relative thereto.

Various other objects and advantages of the inven tion will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale showing aplurality of nozzles connected in series to sections of hose to form anelongated water curtain;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end elevation View of the nozzle, looking towardthe inlet end thereof, and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line3 3 of FIGURE 2.

States arent O Referring more specically to the drawing, the water 3curtain forming spray nozzle in its entirety is designated generally 5and includes a hollow ybody 6 of inverted T-shape, as seen in FIGURE 3.The body 6 has a nipple at one end thereof constituting the inlet of thenozzle 5. The nipple 7 has an `outturned annular flange 8 at its outerend which engages in the inner end of an annular internal groove 9 of acoupling nut 10. The nut 10 has an annular inwardly projecting flange 11at its inner end which forms the inner end wall of the groove 9 andwhich tits turnably in an annular outwardly opening groove 12 of thebody 6. The groove 12 is formed in the nipple 7 between the flange 8 andan annular wall 13 of the body 6 which surrounds the inner end of thenipple 7.

The nut has an internally threaded portion 14, located between its outerend 15 and the groove 9, to receive an externally threaded nipple 16 onthe outlet end of a length of hose 17. The tlange 8 lits turnably in theinner end of the groove 9, which groove is substantially wider than theflange to accommodate a washer or annular sealing gasket18 which isclamped between the ange 8 and the end Vof the hose nipple 16, as seenin FIGURE 3, when the nut 10 is rotated relative to the body 6 foradvancing and tightening the hose nipple 16 therein. The nut 10 ispreferably provided with outwardly projecting lugs 19 which may beengaged by a conventional turning tool, not shown, for tightening thenut on the nipple 16.

The other end of the nozzle body 6 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting male nipple 20 which is disposed in alignment with the inletnipple 7 and which is externally threaded, as seen at 21. As seen inHGURE 3, the male nipple 20, which constitutes one discharge nipple ofthe body 6, may be closed and sealed by an internally threaded cap 22,the threaded portion 23 of which threadedly engages the nipple thread21. The cap 22 has a washer or sealing gasket 24 which is clamped beicetween the outer end of the nipple 20 and the end wall 25 of the cap 22,whenV the cap is tightened on said nipple 20. The cap 22 maybe providedwith radially projecting lugs 26, corresponding to the lugs 19, only oneof which is shown, and for the same purpose as saidlugs 19, aspreviously described.

The body 6 includes an upstanding discharge nipple 27, located betweenthe nipples 7 and 20 and having an externally threaded portion 28engaged by an internally threaded portion 29 of a nut 30, whichsubstantially corresponds to the nut 10. The nut 30 has a flange 31 atits outer end, corresponding to the flange 11, and an annular internalgroove 32, corresponding to the groove 9, and which groove 32 is locatedbetween the flange 31 and threaded portion 29.

A substantially dome-shaped spray head 33 is mounted on and swivellyconnected to the nut 30 lby a collar 34 having an annular outwardlyopening groove ,35 located between annular outwardly projecting endanges 36 and 37. The spray head 33 is hollow and includes asubstantially hemispherical outer or upper portion 38 which is providedwith a substantially semicircular slot 39. The open inner or lower endof the Spray head 33 is defined -by an annular inturned ange 40 whichfits tightly in the upper portion of the groove 35 above the flange 31which also engages said groove. The flange may be turned inwardly toengage under the upper collar ange 36 and the lower collar ange 37 canbe turned outwardly and thus formed, after the flange 31 is positionedaround the collar 34 and against the underside of the flange 40. Asealing washer or gasket 41 is disposed in the groove 32 below thecollar 34 and is clamped between said collar and the outer end of thenipple 27 when the nut 30 is tightened on said nipple. Thenut 30 haslugs 42 tor the sarne purpose as the lugs 19. The dome portion 33 hasoutwardly projecting lugs or ears 46, located on opposite sides of andspaced from the slot 39 and forming linger holds for turning the head 33with the collar 34 and relative to the nut 30, when said nut is loosenedon the nipple 27. The flange 31 iits loosely in the groove 35 so thatthis can be accomplished; however, when the nut 30 is tightened to clampthe washer 41 between the nipple 27 and collar 34, the collar 34 is heldfrom turning relative to the nut and nipple and thus retains the sprayhead 33 against rotation.

A `substantially hat base plate 43 is secured as by welding, as seen at44, to the at bottom portion 45 of the body 6, between the nipples 7 and20, and extends outwardly from opposite sides of said body 6 and isadapted to rest on a supporting surface and to prevent overturning ofthe nozzle.

The nozzle 5 may be attached to the discharge end of a length of hose17, as seen in FIGURE 3, which hose at its opposite end is connected toa source of water supply under pressure, not shown. The slot 39 may bepositioned longitudinally ofthe hose 17, as seen in FiGURE 3, or at anydesired angle relative thereto, depending upon the disposition of thehose relative to a re and where it is desired to locate a protectivewater curtain. When water is supplied under pressure to the nozzle 5through the hose 17, a substantially semicircular or fan-shaped curtainof water, designated 47, and as seen in FIGURE l, will be emittedthrough the slot 39. The nozzle 5 may be made in various sizes to lithoses of different diameters, and the height and length of the watercurtain will vary depending upon the size of the hose and nozzle and thepressure of the water. The length of the water curtain or spray 47 willbe approximately two and one-half times the height thereof at itsvertical center.

FIGURE 1 shows a plurality of the nozzles utilized in series to form acontinuous water curtain and with sections of hose interposed betweenthe nozzles. When thus utilized, the nozzle most remote `from the watersource Patented May S, 1962 willhave the cap 22 applied, whereas thecaps 22 will be removed from the nipples 20 of the other nozzles whichwill then receive a conventional female hose coupler. For example, anozzle 5a is shown attached to the other end of the hose 17 by thefemale coupler 48 thereof engaging the discharge nipple 20 of the nozzle5a for con necting the nozzle 5 to the nozzle 5a through the hose i7.The nozzle 5a is similarly connected to a nozzle Sb by a hose 17a, and ahose 17h, leading to the nozzle 5b,

may be connected to a source of water supply under pressure or toanother nozzle, not shown. The hose sections 17 and 17a are each of alength approximately equal to the length of the sprays -47 emitted fromeach nozzle, so that the three nozzles will provide a substantiallycon-l tinuous water curtain which can be located alongside of a fire andin close proximity thereto, to enable .firemen to fight the fire frombehind the Water curtain and to be protected thereby from the heat,lllames and smoke. The water curtain can also be utilized in this mannerto protect an adjacent building or structure by locating the watercurtain formedby the nozzles between the fire and the structure to 'beprotected. Additionally, two series of nozzles with their connectinghoses may be positioned parallel to one anotherk so as to straddlea,fire,.such as a truck carrying an inflammable material and which is ontire, for confining the re between thetwo parallel water curtains. Bylocating thewater curtains parallel to the direction of the wind, thesmoke and heat will be forced to move only downwind of the fire betweenthe Water curtains or substantially vertically upward.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated andrnay be resortedto, without departing from the function or scope of the invention ashereinafter defined by the appended claim.

I claim `as my invention:

A water curtain forming spray nozzle comprising a hollow body portionhaving an inlet, means connected to said inlet `for detachably fasteningthe discharge end of a Water conduit thereto and with the inlet disposedin alignment with said discharge end, said nozzle body having anupstanding discharge nipple disposed at an angle to said inlet, a nutthreadedly connected to said discharge nipple, a hollow spray headhaving a dome-shaped outer portion provided with a substantiallysemicircular slot and an inner portionhaving an inturned annular flange,a collar having an annular.A outwardly opening groove in which saidflange is nondetachahly secured for anchoring the collar to the sprayhead, said nut having an outer end provided with an annular inturnedflange disposed beyond the discharge nipple and turnably fitting in saidgroove for swivelly and nondetachably connecting the collar and sprayhead to the nut `for rotatively adjusting the spray head relative to thenipple, a washer disposed within the nut and clamped between the collarand discharge nipple when lthe nut is tightened for sealing the jointbetween the nut and collar and for securing the collar nonrotatively tothe nut, said slot constituting the outlet of the nozzle for emitting asubstantially semieircular or fan-Shaped spray forming a water curtainwhen water is supplied under pressure to the nozzle, and said bodyportion having a substantially flat ibase adapted to rest on aysubstantially horizontal supporting surface for positioning the sprayhead in an upright position with the slot thereofy disposed in avertical plane andfacing upwardly, said nut being internally enlargedadjacent the inturned flange thereof to define a chamber in which saidwasher is detachably confined.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl1,183,150 Williams May 16, 1916 1,753,443 Murray Apr. 8, 1930 1,813,733`Freeman July 7,v 1931 2,924,394 Clark Feb. 9, 1960

